Wheels Up Names Gail Grimmett Chief Experience Officer
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Wheels Up, the leading brand in private aviation, today announces Gail Grimmett as the company's Chief Experience Officer. Grimmett will oversee every aspect of the Wheels Up member experience, including event programming, marketing, public relations, social, digital and member benefits. The newly created role comes after Wheels Up recently announced a groundbreaking partnership with Delta that combined Delta Private Jets with Wheels Up and introduced cross-platform benefits for Wheels Up members.
Grimmett joins Wheels Up after 20 years of building brands and turning around businesses in both commercial and luxury travel industries. As Delta's Senior Vice President – New York, Grimmett oversaw the transformation of Delta in New York State, delivering the airline's first-ever profit in the state and ultimately contributing $6 billion dollars in annual revenue while deepening the company's brand presence in the market. Grimmett also led the $1.4 billion redevelopment of Delta's state-of-the-art Terminal 4 at JFK, which first opened in 2013, and the largest hub expansion in over 40 years at LaGuardia, which grew Delta's schedule out of LGA by more than 60 percent, in 2012. Most recently, Grimmett was President of Travel Leaders Group Luxury Brands, where she had responsibility over $5 billion of revenue, leading five separate luxury brand companies.
Honored as one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in New York" in 2013, 2015 and 2017 by Crain's New York Business, Grimmett is regarded as an expert in aviation marketing, policy and infrastructure. Grimmett served as Governor Andrew Cuomo's appointee on both the New York State Tourism Board and the New York City Regional Economic Development Council for over a decade and pioneered Delta's partnership with the Food Bank for New York City and other community organizations.
Grimmett will be based out of Wheels Up's global headquarters in New York City reporting to Wheels Up Founder and CEO Kenny Dichter and working closely with the company's executive leadership team.
Dichter founded Wheels Up in 2013 and since then has grown the company through its membership programs, innovative features and cutting edge-technology. Wheels Up has achieved an enterprise valuation of over $1.5 billion, sold over 8,000 memberships, owns and manages a fleet approaching 200 private aircraft and employs over 1,000 people across the United States. The brand's ambassadors include Tom Brady, Serena Williams and Russell Wilson, among others.
"Gail is a powerhouse, and we are proud to welcome her to the Wheels Up team at this exciting time in our company's growth," said Dichter. "She shares our vision for democratizing private aviation and continuing to invest in our member experience. Her proven track record of innovative marketing and execution of large-scale business strategies is already an undeniable asset."
"I am thrilled to join the Wheels Up team during this momentous era for the company, and I look forward to continuing our commitment to our thousands of members both on the ground and in the air," said Grimmett. "Kenny and his team have created exponential growth over the past six years, and his pioneering vision in the private aviation industry is unmatched. I am excited to be a part of the company's next phase of expansion."
About Wheels Up
Wheels Up is a leading private aviation company that delivers a total aviation solution. Created and led by renowned entrepreneur Kenny Dichter, the company offers three membership options—Connect, Core, and Business—that significantly reduce the cost to fly privately, while providing over 8,000 members across North America with unparalleled safety, service, flexibility, and quality. Wheels Up gives members access to one of the world's largest owned and managed fleets of private aircraft, totaling nearly 200 planes—as well as the Program Fleet, which includes over 1,250 Wheels Up safety-vetted and verified partner aircraft in the Light, Midsize, Super-Mid, and Large-Cabin Categories. Many of these options can be booked instantly.
Connect Members receive access to all aircraft on an as-available basis. For Core and Business Members, access is guaranteed on the King Air 350i, as available on the Citation Excel/XLS and Citation X, and guaranteed at the category level on the Program Fleet. Core and Business Members enjoy aircraft availability with real-time dynamic pricing backed by capped hourly rates for time flown only, up to 365 days a year and with as little as 24 hours' notice.
Popular features such as Shared Flights, empty-leg Hot Flights, Shuttles, and The Community, an online platform of members-only forums to facilitate flight sharing, enable members to further reduce their cost of flying private. Through a groundbreaking partnership with Delta Air Lines, members have unique access and exclusive cross-platform benefits. Renowned events and benefits from among the world's preeminent lifestyle brands make up the company's Wheels Down program.
To learn more about Wheels Up, go to Wheelsup.com.
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Wheels Up Media Contact:
JONESWORKS
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 212-839-0111
SOURCE Wheels Up
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